Investigating the impact of ‘big pharma’: The SAGE Encyclopedia of Pharmacology & Society

Los Angeles, CA (February 9, 2016) How does the business of creating, selling, consuming, and regulating legal drugs influence contemporary society? Launching today as a four-volume set, The SAGE Encyclopedia of Pharmacology & Society examines the policy and social aspects of the global pharmaceutical industry.

"While the pharmaceutical industry has undeniably improved human health by the discovery and development of lifesaving drugs, it is also possible to argue that there is an inherent conflict between the desires of individual companies to maximize profit and the needs of human beings to have access to critical drugs," writes editor Sarah E. Boslaugh.

With 800 articles addressing the ethical, legal, business, and consumer issues of the global pharmaceutical industry, as well as a chronology of the history and landmark developments in the field of pharmacology, The SAGE Encyclopedia of Pharmacology & Society examines the following areas:

Branches of Pharmacology

Business of Pharmacology

Data Sources

Ethical Issues in Pharmacology

Infrastructure of Pharmacology

Laws and Regulations

Pharmaceutical Companies

Pharmacological Issues in Society

Pharmacology Around the World

Public Health Issues

Research in Pharmacology

Social History of Pharmacology

Specific Drugs/Drugs for Specific Conditions

Specific Populations

University Research Programs

"Health care will continue to be an important concern for both individuals and nations in the years to come, and pharmacology will continue to play an important role in providing that care," continues Boslaugh. "At the same time, every society will have to confront issues related to pharmaceuticals, including cost, access, and the potential for abuse."

The SAGE Encyclopedia of Pharmacology & Society includes a glossary, an index, an appendix (statistics on the amount and types of drugs prescribed and to whom), a Reader's Guide that groups related articles, and an annotated Resource Guide to further research. Each article concludes with a Further Readings section and cross-references to related articles. In the digital version, cross-references between articles combine with the Reader's Guide and index sections to enhance search-and-browse capabilities.

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For more information, click here. A FREE online trial of SAGE Knowledge, including The SAGE Encyclopedia of Pharmacology & Society, is available by emailing [email protected]

Sarah E. Boslaugh is an adjunct assistant professor at St. Louis University. She served as editor-in-chief for the Encyclopedia of Epidemiology, authored An Intermediate Guide to SPSS Programming: Using Syntax for Data Management, Healthcare Systems Around the World: A Comparative Guide, and numerous chapters for professional reference books such as Public Health Research Methods. Specializing in data-based articles and explaining statistical principles to the general public, Boslaugh's research interests include comparative health care delivery systems, quality of life measurement, and gender and sexuality issues in health care delivery.

Sara Miller McCune founded SAGE Publishing in 1965 to support the dissemination of usable knowledge and educate a global community. SAGE is a leading international provider of innovative, high-quality content publishing more than 900 journals and over 800 new books each year, spanning a wide range of subject areas. A growing selection of library products includes archives, data, case studies and video. SAGE remains majority owned by our founder and after her lifetime will become owned by a charitable trust that secures the company's continued independence. Principal offices are located in Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore, Washington DC and Melbourne. http://www.sagepublishing.com